Of Blood and Honour
by K.L.Ferguson
Summary: Original story set in the Dragon age verse surrounding the adventures of an elf who witnesses a dark crime and his journey to exposing the truth. With hidden secrets he and his new found companion's, not all friends, make way across Fereldan and Thedas to oppose the darkness threatening the monarchy. (Slight swearing and violence. Not based on any of the games. AU)


**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Dragon age universe that belongs strictly to Bioware, the only thing I own are some of the characters and the plot.

So this is an original idea I've had in my head off and on for a long time now and the only thing that has changed about it is the characters and the settings. So seeing as I role play a lot of dragon age related plays, I thought I'd try my hand adapting this as an original story with original characters in the dragon age verse. Meaning it will be AU, I would love reviews and I appreciate them.  
Set a few years before the fifth blight, King Cailan is on the throne and neither the warden or Hawke have occurred yet. Other notes being that Cailan and Anora are not yet married.

Note: It may not be the characters you know and love but it is the world and I hope you enjoy the adventure.

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**_Chapter One: No Smoke Without Fire_**

_Quintis let out a discomforted cry as he held on to the lifeless man in his arms. His lithe body was drowned in blood from corpse' gaping wounds and he shook with fear. Fear for what was going to come, fear of the magister who did this and most of all fear for his life. Quintis rose slowly and let his dead master fall from his hands and onto the marbled floor. Giving the shredded man one last mournful glance, the servant turned and with determination left those chambers for the last time, his knuckles white from the vice like hold on the parchment in his hands._

On the outskirts of the bannorn in Fereldan, near West Hill, sat a small seedy tavern '_The Dwarven Bride'_. It was known for it's bar brawls, it's harlots and most momentously it's patrons as many of the occupants were thugs and mercenaries.  
Approaching the notorious tavern was a cloaked figure in the night. The figure strode forth up the path hidden in the shadows as he was eclipsed in a black cloak. Beneath the cloak was a slim body wrapped in grey robes and a face paled with worry. The man can't have been much older than twenty two, but his nervousness and determination had aged him. His slated, round eyes were focused and his frostbitten lips, chapped by the late autumn weather, were drawn into a fine line. His most defining feature however, were his ears, as they were large and pointed, revealing that this man was an elf.

Placing two slender hands on the door, the figure hinged it open and drew his stormy, curious eyes over the less than savory occupants of the inn as he gracefully stepped inside. Being fully cloaked he entered like a shadow drawing little to no attention, of this he was thankful. The last thing he needed was to catch the eye of someone in this place, a place he had heard enough about to be aware of the deadly occupants and with the mission ahead of him, the elf had no time to be shanked in some bar brawl. With a swift pace, he made his way to the bar and made a small gesture of his hand to call upon the barman.

"Ye havin'?" He asked in thick rough voice, the man himself clearly being beyond in years, his beady brown eyes were framed with crows feet and his upper lip was stubbled in threads of silver that matched that of his head.

"Ale." The cloaked elf replied attempting to echo the man's gruffness with his words and failing.

As the barman turned to leave, the elf spoke again. "Also, a pointer in the direction of a good 'Smoke'." He was unsure if he had said that correctly, was there a wrong way to say a code word? He wasn't prepared for what would happen if he was wrong.

The seasoned barman stood a little straighter at the pale strangers request and seemed to be contemplating his response. The elf waited in nervous turmoil during the man's hesitation, he'd never requested the help of thugs and so he was unaware of the etiquette but being a mere kitchen servant the man was unaware of most etiquette outside of the cities boundaries.

If he had blinked, he would have missed it, but there it was. The barkeeper's dull inclination in the direction of a lone man at a small table near the fire.

Thanking the older gentleman mentally, the uneasy elf stood. Fear was bubbling in his stomach and he was doing his best not to show it, this man to whom he was sent must have been somebody feared. Why else would the barkeep be so hesitant to indulge him in the information.

As he approached the table he opened his mouth ready to make a greeting, but he had no chance, the second his lips parted the man at the table looked up, allowing the elf to see his features.

He was an ebony skinned man with deep sunken eyes, black as tar. His lips were full and his cheekbones high and under each eye were three purple dots which appeared to be etched in with some form of ink. To top the look off his face was curtained with shoulder length white hair and from what he saw, he could tell, the man was human.

'"Sit sir, and tell me what you need."

The cloaked elven man was worried to say the least, how do you tell a man that the bannorn is corrupt, the world is at stake and that the only person that knows is a kitchen elf that no one believes, trusts or cares about.

"The truth is," Was he really going to do this, tell this complete stranger the truth? This man was no doubt unlawful and couldn't be trusted and would laugh in his face, "The truth is, I was there when bann Tristian died, I was the only one of his household who survived..all that stuff happened and I escaped due to my own means.I know the truth and if I don't stop these bloodmages then it won't be long before even the monarchy is corrupt and my master died in vain and it was all for nothing and I don't expect you to believe me but.." The elf took a moment to inhale a deep breath not realizing his rambles. "He said you 'Smoke would help and gave me a note on where to find you and well..I need aid and the Templar and the guard won't believe me."

The white-haired man nodded nonchalant at the tale, having remained silent throughout as the elf explained the past days events. "I assume you've tried reasoning with the authorities?"

"I'm an elf and a servant and the only survivor with noble blood on my hands..I'd be strung up before they'd listen to me."

"So, you need me to point you in the direction of some heroes, and you've come to the darkest deepest pit in Thedas to to find them?" He chuckled, the chuckle making the elf bite back anger, he hated being laughed at.

"In short..yes." He murmured through clenched teeth.

"Hmm.." Smoke murmured breaking into a grin, "Well you're lucky to have found me. I'd do anything for bann Tristian after what he did for me and when I heard the news of his and his families death, well I've been looking for a fight."

The elf felt his pointed ears stand up as he widened his grey almond eyes. "You- what, you'll me? Thank you!" He gaped breaking off in to a light chuckle and extending his hand, "I'm Quintis by the way..I can't even express my gratitude."

"Firstly, I'm doing this for Tristian and his family, not you, eh?" The white haired man joked glancing around, but extending his own hand to greet Quintis' anyways. "And as you already know, I'm Smoke. "

Quintis turned a little sheepish at the jest and felt his ears lower, he should have been thankful that this human even shook his hand let alone wanted to help. He had to suddenly remind himself that his masters were dead, the ones who had given him a paid job and that his co-workers had be turned into slaves by some Tevinter magistrates. All to get whatever was in that damned chest. He recalled as they stormed the manor's room's and how he _escaped, _how those blood mages had said they were their for a meeting with the Bann..but that when they left his office they started slaughtering the rest of the household. Quintis remembered the smell of violent copper vividly, the smell that filled the air when he sneaked into the office after all the blood mages had made their way downstairs. He recalled the last words and commands uttered by his master as though it had happened seconds ago.

_"Elf. Find 'Smoke' at this address..tell him what happened. Ser Oswald did this and when they get that chest..all will be doomed and a blood mage will be on the thrown of Fereldan, get to Oswald before he gets to...to..to."_

"Quintis? Quintis are you even listening?"

The elf startled and nodded at Smoke having lost himself in his own nightmare. "Yeah, I'm coming..where did you say we were going?"

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"So what do you suggest we do, Smoke? Hire mercenaries with no money or go across the seas and seek help from the Antivan Crows or maybe the Chantry by which time it'll be too late and the Queen will be dead and I'll have failed my mission?"

Smoke heaved heavily and shut his case with a heavy 'clunk'. "No." He retorted, "I'm suggesting we seek some aid and I've heard enough rumors to know where to look."

"Oh great..the whole world might break into out right war and we're resting it on..rumors."

"Do you have a better idea?" Smoke asked making his way out of the room, case in hand with Quintis following suit silently. "Thought not."

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_Several Hours Later..the night was coming to and end and the sun was starting to rise..  
_

Quintis looked across to Smoke in the carriage, it was day time and Quintis hated being awake during the day, the man was more than practically nocturnal but all things considered that hardly meant much, even if he hadn't slept a wink last night. Yawning he inquired, "Okay, so who's aid are we seeking today?"

"Well what do we need?" retorted Smoke simply.

Quintis shrugged sleepily and answered, "Erm..people who are willing to save the world?"

"Wrong, we have obedience." He pointed to the servant, and then pointing to himself continued, "and we have 'charm' ..we're missing strength and cunning."

Quintis was a little annoyed at being called obediance, he was a servant but he had will power and he could do so much more than obey. "Oh. So who do you 'know' that fits those categories?"

"No one." Smoke laughed out, but upon seeing Quintis' look of dread the dark skin man sobered, "_But_ I have heard of someone, The Rain Key, a highwayman so ruthless and so stealthy he's near impossible to find."

"The Rain Key? Why do they call him that?"

"I hear it's his way with the ladies..'everywhere he goes they're always wet'."

Quintis couldn't help but laugh, "We're looking for a common road bandit who by the sounds of it frequents brothels?"

"Well the story goes, if you believe such things..he was once a prince in Antiva "

"You don't mean he's an Antivan, You can't trust an Antivan that's almost as bad as trusting an Orleasian."

"Or a knife ears or an Rivani?" Smoke asked with a challenged brow that made Quintis go silent. " Anyways.. yes, it's rumored he was prince of Antiva and one of the best swordsmen in the country, but one day he was challenged to duel by Ser Xavier of Amaranthine, they fought and no surprise Rain Key won, sadly though Ser Xavier's was stricken with grief watching the duel and got the Crows involved."

Quintis hadn't heard much about the Antivan Crows but he had heard enough to know that they were not the sort of people you wanted involved in any sort of affairs.

"So, the Crows ended up poisoning a young woman in the crowd they saw the prince doting on before the match in hopes it was a much cared for lover. The next day the prince found out and as it were.. his true love was indeed killed before him, Rain Key went mad of course..he slaughtered the noble's of house - and after leaving the manor in blood..He fled here to Fereldan and vowed to evenge his lover's death by robbing and usually killing travellers who wander up into Xavier's land. Taking the life of some who care enough to visit the land in retort for the life of the one he cared for."

"...Nobility slaughtering each other well that's nothing new." Quintis replied to Smoke's tale with a snort, "And if all that is true this Rain Key sounds so bent on revenge he'd never help."

"A chance to kill people with money and power who think they can get away with whatever they like? I think he'll jump at the chance."

"Fine, but you said so yourself this guy is a shadow..no one even knows this Rain Key and when you do find him you end up de-" Quintis stopped cold in his words and his stormy eyes widened at Smoke who was now grinning. "Where are we traveling?"

"We should be entering Amaranthine via the back roads, shortly."

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(Thanks for reading, Reviews appreciated~)


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